Arts and Entertainment:Humanities Articles from EzineArticles.com

Michael Baxandall's Painting and Experience in 15th Century Italy is a seminal work in the History of Art scholarship. Its major contribution to art history is the concept of the 'period eye'. However, there are aspects of Baxandall's theses which are problematic.

Lorenzo Ghiberti is one of the most famous sculptors of the Italian Renaissance. His doors for Florence's Baptistery were described by Michelangelo as the Gates of Paradise. This article explores the language that Ghiberti used to describe art and the challenges we face today in gaining a clear understanding of what he meant.

There are many references available today for anyone who wants to learn more on the esoteric teachings and occultism. When you want to learn about these categories, then the term Rosicrucian is not a new word. This is an ancient society that ran in secret and it was well devoted to studying all the occult doctrines as well as the manifestation of different occult powers.

Rosicrucianism can be understood as a cultural movement that arose within Europe back in the 17th century. This was after several texts were published purporting to announce the existence of an unknown esoteric order making seeking the knowledge so attractive to many people. Allegedly, the doctrine is built on some esoteric truths that happened in the past, but the truths remain concealed from man of an average caliber. The doctrines are said to provide greater insight into the physical universe, the spiritual realm, and to nature. There are no manifestos that elaborate more extensively on this matter, but there is a clear combination of references to the mystical Christianity, Hermeticism, and Kabbalah.

What do you know about the Vikings? The Vikings conjures fearsome invaders who once controlled some parts of the world like Ireland. There are myths and legends that bring fear and sometimes reverence when the stories of these men are told.

This article addresses the lack of minorities in the field of Anthropology. It gives a personal perspective from the author's standpoint and leaves this particular topic open for further discussion by the reader.

The Vikings existed in what is now commonly known as the Viking age which was from around 790 to the 10 Century. These groups of people were mostly Scandinavians the modern day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Besides what is commonly depicted from the recent day movies, they lived an ordinary normal life which was then, comprised of living in the wild and regular warfare to conquer more territories. They inhabited most parts of North of the Atlantic and continued their spread North of Africa and the Eastern part of Russia.

The natural world is filled with wonders. When you go outdoors, marvel at the sky, listen to the wind pass through trees, admire the song and appearance of birds, animals, and insects. Don't forget to look at the ground, both for your safety and to find something interesting like the remains of a native American culture that passed long ago.

Lust to possess immeasurable materialistic wealth is a very cruel aspect of human nature. History is the witness, this never- ending aspiration of amassing incalculable wealth has ruined great dynasties. Greed is like a fire that burns furiously in the initial stages but later converts into inferno.

We look at how the necessities of the earliest explorers and pioneers of North America influenced their cooking and meal preparation habits and how those have evolved into contemporary meal preparation techniques made possible by the convenience and capabilities of modern high tech kitchen appliances. In the process, we examine how what once was a demanding chore born of survival in a vast unknown wilderness has become a challenging art and, for some, a delightful hobby.

Transportation in the Roman empire was done by sail boats or horse drawn wagons. The Romans borrowed from cultures before them like the Greeks. They did not really improve ship building and their wagons were quite primitive. The postal service, however, was remarkable. Through organizing estafettes with horses, the speed of mail could not be improved until modern times.

The ancient Romans were quite adept at constructing roads. To a certain extent they used science to accomplish that. The main purpose was to connect the vast regions of the empire. Therefore the roads were used for military and commercial goals.

Watching America's got talent clip on YouTube when a little girl with the voice of an adult became the chosen one made me think of how many singers have reincarnated. The process by which I passed from my last life to this one gave me insight into the fact that everyone has returned. We are in the last days and the prophecies state that the graves will give up their dead at this time.

If one remembers the 70's and 80's they would be aware of a shift from the conventional into trends inspired by Eastern cultures. Such things as the performance of The Age of Aquarius and other works lifted the spirits out of the doldrums and overturned the old for a new way of living. First came the pill that liberated women, followed by an open attitude to partnerships without marriage and acceptance of the LGBT trend based on love.

Pongal is a harvest festival in Tamil Nadu, the south most state of India. It is also known as "Thai Pongal". The word 'Thai' is one of the months name in Tamil language. In general, people across the state reap crops cultivated in their own lands in January of every year. Then they celebrate the Pongal to convey their gratitude to the Sun and Cattle those who helped for cultivation. There is a famous quote in Tamil Language called "thai piranthaal vazhi pirakkum" which means "all the good things will start to happen once the month Thai (January) begins / Every problem will be resolved in a good way."

For over 60 years African-Americans have been celebrating Black History month and yet not to mention, publicized, or have in our studies in our institutions about the Islamic movement in the United States due to the fact that the majority of American Muslims are African Americans. his article is historical timeline of the African Americans coming to the religion of Al-Islam.

Persian history is one of the most ancient history of the world. It produced a number of classical and modern poet, who worked day and night for its survival. Persian formally spoken in Iran, Afghanistan (Dari) and Tajikistan. Therefore, more than 110 million Persian speaking persons in the world.

I have not witnessed the struggle for Indian freedom. But I have learned from the justice. So what is relevant now is not the name of the great land of worship but why the name is so relevant for its inhabitants. I wrote the post below based on a certain understanding of knowledge. So now I want to expand the correspondence for the interest of all.

Hakim-Abu-Al Qasim Ferdowsi is a renowned Persian poet and author of historical poetry book "Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi". He was born probably in 935 C.E (date of birth is not conformed) in village REGBAN nearby area of Tus, Tahiran and died in 1040.

In the years following the fall of Camelot the continued struggle to unite England waged on. To the north in Scotland warring factions of Vikings continued their brutal and savage pillaging of local inhabitants. For over three hundred years up until the 9th century both England and Scotland were so divided wars and bloodshed was a fact of life.

Does the word "theology" ever scare you or make you wonder why your pastor or friend uses it? Do you ever find yourself asking or saying "we just should have the theology of the Bible and nothing else?" In this article I discuss the importance of theology, and more importantly, Christian theology and its importance for Christians today who happen to engage in it without ever thinking.

George Washington, our nation's first president is one of the most prominent figures in American history. For many Americans, he is known as the "Father of our Nation" because he became the greatest American legend involved in the freedom and development of our country in numerous ways: military hero, first president, a signer of the American Declaration of Independence, just to name a few. What happened to such men like Washington is that myths were created that enhanced fame and honor.

You Say Ravana Was A Villain? Yes, he may be! But from which activities did we judge it? Is it because he abducted Sita? Probably! How will you judge him to be, after hearing his wishes? Let's check the wishes the Lanka king - Ravana had.

Tipu Sultan the "Tiger of Mysore" a ruler of Mysore from 1750 to 1799. Tipu Sultan was a well famous administrator of Mysore at the same time he was a Scholar, Soldier, and Poet. Tipu Sultan introduced a number of administrative innovations during his rule, including the introduction of a new coinage, a new Maludi lunisolar calendar, and a new land revenue system, initiating the growth of Mysore silk industry. Tipu expanded the iron-cased Mysorean rockets which he deployed in his resistance against military advances of the British. Tipu won important victories against the British in the second Anglo-Mysore war. In the third Anglo-Mysore war, Tipu Sultan was forced into a humiliating treaty (a written agreement between two states), losing a number of previously conquered territories, including Malabar and Mangalore. In the fourth Anglo-Mysore war, the combined forces of the British East India Company, Maratha's and the Nizam of Hyderabad defeated Tipu and he was killed on 4th May 1799.

'The honor is found in the end and not the means'. This statement is very debatable and triggers controversy as some people may see it as the other way around; the honor is found in the means and not the end. Now before we go further let's pause for a while and peer in to the word honor itself.

The year's 2099, humanity's somehow managed not to blow itself up yet. It's been 96 years since the human genome was sequenced and Dolly the sheep was cloned. Pity that all the sheep went extinct sometime during 2049.

Onlookers were said to have mocked and sneered as Louis XIV's funeral carriage passed through the streets of Versailles on a journey to his final burial ground. He would pass away just a few days short of his 77th birthday. He had led a spectacularly long life in a time of still very limited medical knowledge. His strong body would eventually die after it was half eaten with gangrene. But no matter how unpopular he was at that time, this figure has undoubtedly come to symbolize the French monarchy at it's very peak.

Those with extremely high IQs often have trouble relating to average or slightly above average IQ humans, as they themselves are Human+ so to speak. It's hard to relate to folks that seem to use a different thought process or cannot seem to process thought at all, or only to a limited degree. Often the resident genius finds it odd that people know things or have knowledge or understanding of things that typically are not known to other average humans, it surprises the genius when they encounter such anomalies, even though they themselves are anomalies. Let's discuss this.

Being selfish is innate. Look at a little kid; "I want this," or that. It isn't until they learn that sharing has positives to it. So, that means it is nurture not nature. All species and biological life is selfish, it tries to do the least and get the most, conserve its energy, all life does that, it is simply the way of things? So is Ayn Rand's philosophy 'radical' no, I would submit to you that it is just obvious. It is observable, repeatable, and is a viable observation of life everything from plants with leaves trying to outdo other plants for sunlight, roots for water - bacteria feeds of the host or works with the host for its best interests - viruses same. See? It's natural and normal.

During this past 2016 Presidential Election we sure heard a lot about the poor. On the democrat side we heard from Bernie Sanders with quite the following, and again from the democrat mainstay Hillary Clinton as well. Apparently, none connected better with the poor and working middle class than Donald Trump. Even though this election is over the issues about poverty in the United States are from over. Still, I ask, how can we even have a legitimate discussion if we don't have a clear definition of what "poor" is in America? I mean the government has one definition - in 2015 that number for a single person was $12,082 annually, but is a number adequate?

If you've never been pandal-hopping in Kolkata, you have never seen this side of the City of Joy. As Durga Puja arrives, the city gears up to a whole new level of excitement with colourful lights setting the stage for the most sought after festival of the city. From the brightly lit alleys, to the sound of the dhak and gong peeling through the night and mouth-watering delicacies available at almost every street corner, the bar of excellence is only being raised with each passing year.

One of history's most unusual conspiracy theories involved Queen Elizabeth I, the daughter of England's King Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn. During the first half of the sixteenth century, Elizabeth was born to the tyrannical English king. When she was about ten years old, she was taken from Henry's court in plague-ridden London to Bisley, a small town Southwest of London, because he wanted to protect her from getting sick.

Out of the pages of history galloping across the western plains of the Old West rides a lone crusader bringing law and order to an otherwise lawless land. With stealth and cunning many an outlaw met his fate. Horace Mann was broad of shoulder and narrow at the hip and everywhere he went the long arm of the law was not far away.

Not to alarm you but what historians claim that our ancestors hesitated to bathe is quite true. Hygiene among the noble people was rare to find and thus we can only imagine what they would have smelled like. But trust me, it wasn't that bad after all because we are talking about King Louis's court and it was known for its extensive use of perfumes and everything that smelled pleasant. What few of us are aware of is that our nobility had a great fear of water. People back then had a common belief that diseases travelled through water. Now this is what led them to stay away from it and eventually prevented them from bathing. They thought that the less they bathed the healthier they would stay. They couldn't be further from the truth but we know that now, so let's come them some slack this time. This is the reason that during King Louis XIV's reign perfumes were used on a wide scale to scent every nook and corner of the castle and whatever possible.This actually happened and the air in and around the castle became so heavy with fragrance that the French court gradually came to

History comes alive when you find evidence of it. I still remember the moment that I found an arrowhead lost by a Native American long before my life began. The homesteaders who traveled west on the Oregon Trail left their mark too.

Many readers may be surprised or even amused by the title of this article, but amongst the communities we live in, individual perceptions can differ regarding how important it is to actually study Geography. In an age where many students need to find employment in a profession that offers a long term future, Geography is one subject many students should consider studying.

Inspired by my personal struggles, this article is dedicated to those artists injured by early abuse and the dark underbelly of the complex social and political terrain of the art industry. The article addresses the painful hurdles the artist encounters, and the psychic toll and resultant wounds incurred. Likewise, it also identifies ways to champion the artist, so that these struggles and wounds can ultimately morph into wisdom, power, and success.

Many things in our world are artificial even agriculture. Our changes in nature can be considered art. Permaculture is artificial but imitates Nature. This way it works together with nature, instead of against it.

Everybody wants good fortune in their own way, but patience builds it ultimately, and good cause and effect or karma in existence. Some people even seem to be born under a "lucky star" where they get everything that they want.

Nok is a tin mining village located in Nigeria. The name was given by an archaeologist by name Bernard Fagg after studying the culture and discovering some terracotta (fired clay figure which is not glazed) sculptural remains of the people in 1943. The people had a well-organized administration and economic system. They were ruled by kings. They were farmers and hunters by profession. The people also practiced a snake cult and they highly revered snakes. The people believed in ancestors and practiced ancestral veneration and had an ancestral cult. They also believed in animism.

The Swazi live in Swaziland at the southeastern part of South Africa. They speak the Bantu language which is closely related to the Zulu language. The Swazi is part of the San's people who depend on farm produce such as millets and other grains for sustenance. Their main occupation is farming with a large section of the people engaged in pastoral farming precisely the rearing of cattle. Owing to this they also produce milk from the cows reared. Their farmlands are ruled by chiefs and his cabinet of experienced elders. Women are greatly respected in their communities. The Swazi believed in ancestors. The ancestors were greatly respected and highly honoured

Renaissance was a term used by scholars in the 19th century to describe the activities of European artists and intellectuals from the 14th century to the 16th century. Renaissance is a French word, meaning "rebirth "or "rinascinento" in Italian. The term can also be explained as the 'Re-awakening' or the 'Renewal of knowledge'. The period of the renaissance was an age of exploration, experimentation, self-realization and the opening up of new worlds not only in the artistic sense but imagination and creativity. People began to think, reason and analyze every aspect of words, deeds, and conventions of rules of society. It was indeed a period of enlightenment of the world.

The Baule ethnic society is found in the central part of Cote d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast. They can speak Asante Twi because they were once part of the Asante kingdom. Very little is known concerning the social and economic life of the Baules but they may have been ruled by kings and had a traditional ruling council as they were influenced by the Asantes. They also engaged in farming and gave credence to art as a profession. Training was offered to trainees in the form of apprenticeship. They believed in God whom they called Alura. They believed in lesser gods or divinities and ancestors. The Baule also believed that they lived in heaven with their marriage partners before coming to the earth.

Renaissance art has impacted greatly on the arts that we do today in several ways. This has increased the value and relevance of art in modern societies. It has set a path for today's artists on how they can hone their skills in art for socio-economic development.

Adinkra is a traditional cloth that is printed using the block printing technique. The finished cloth is a traditional mourning cloth worn for funeral occasions. The word 'Adinkra' means 'farewell' or 'goodbye'. It is worn to bid farewell and part ways with the deceased. The cloth has several symbolic patterns usually referred to as Adinkra symbols. These symbols carry symbolic connotations which usually explain the values, norms, and beliefs of the people.

Polynesia consists of various islands in the Pacific Ocean such as Hawaii, Easter islands, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, Marquesas Island and New Zealand. Polynesia is a fusion of two words 'poly' which means 'many' and 'nesia' which means 'islands'. Polynesia means 'many islands'. The Polynesians were skillful navigators (sailing masters). The Polynesian societies were ruled by kings, chiefs, and ritual specialists.

Melanesia is a fusion of two words 'Mela' which means 'black' and 'nesia' which means 'islands'. Melanesia means 'black islands'. It refers to the arts done by the black people in islands such as New Guinea, the dominant island, New Britain, Solomon's island, New Caledonia, New Ireland and Fiji all in the Pacific Ocean. Their arts dates back to either 2000 BC or 3000 BC yet their arts have seen only a few changes in this modern age.

Art criticism is a way of looking at, talking and thinking about works of art to understand their aesthetic qualities while passing judgment on the work of art. Knowledge in aesthetics is essential in art criticism. Before an art critic actually passes judgment on a work of art, he/she has to critically examine the artwork to understand all its qualities whether good or bad. He has to deeply think about the works of art so as to be able to pass good judgment about the work.

Most of the ancient builders advanced in the field of architecture. This was through the spirit of experimentation. The ancient Greeks stood out as the masters in architecture. They used wood, mud-brick, and marble for their architectural structures. They used some as a shelter in which they lived. Others were built to house their gods serving as temples. However, worship of the gods was carried out outside the temple. The Greeks built stadiums for athletic contests and theatres for theatrical performances. Colour was used in pecking out details of their building.

Art appreciation is a procedure that is followed to make one aware of all the good and bad qualities that one sees, reads and hears about a work of art. It is a means of responding to works of art that are talking intelligently about a work of art and communicating knowledgeable about a work of art. Art appreciation involves a silent and deep thinking about the works of art. This would enable us to talk intelligently about the works of art.

In Kente weaving, before the weaving process is carried out, the materials and tools/equipment needed must be known and assembled as well as the production processes. The processes include planning and designing, warping, beaming, heddling and so forth.

Kente is one of the famous indigenous cloths of Ghana. The origin of the craft is shared among the Asante ethnic society in the southern part of the Ashanti region and the Ewe ethnic society in the Volta region of Ghana. The times of discovering the art of weaving and the designs among the two groups were simultaneous. While the Asantes believe that they learnt the craft from how grass naturally interlocks, the Ewes claim they learnt the craft from the red and black stripped cobra which is their totem. Whatever be the case, there are interesting patterns and colours of the indigenous cloth that have interesting symbolic meanings that reveal the values, norms and beliefs of the ethnic cultures. It is essential that wearers of this famous cloth know the meaning of the designs and styles so that they can wear them to appropriate occasions.

Jewelry plays significant roles in the Ghanaian community. They are not just aesthetic items that enhance the personal adornment of an individual but also have symbolic meanings that unveil the philosophical values, concepts and accepted norms for communal living in Ghana. Also, canoes which are primarily used for fishing activities especially in the coastal regions of Ghana particularly among the Fantes in Takoradi, Elmina and Mankessim in the Central region of Ghana have some symbols carved on the wooden canoes. These symbols give deep insights into the accepted ethical codes expected of residents in Ghana. Others serve as inspirational messages to the fishermen as they engage in their fishing activities.

The Akuaba doll is a special doll cherished very much among the Ghanaian communities especially the Asantes. The Akuaba doll earned the name from an Asante's woman called Akua who was barren and desperately needed a child. Due to her barrenness, she was branded as a witch by her neighbours accusing her of 'eating' (killing) all the children in her womb. Out of desperation, she consulted a local diviner for a child. The diviner after his consultations with the ancestors through some rituals asked Akua to commission a carver to carve a doll in the likeness of the child she dreams of having. She described vividly all the features she admires and desires to see in her would-be-child which reflected the Asante concept of beauty. Some rituals were performed on the doll and given to Akua. The story continues that Akua cared, carried and treated the wooden doll as if it were human. Soon, she became pregnant and bore a daughter exactly as the doll. Henceforth, all barren women were asked to go for a similar 'Akua' (The name of the barren woman) 'ba' (Child) doll. This explains why the doll was has being called Akuaba doll till date.

Indian art began in 3000BC and has flourished till date with great improvements. The major religion that exerted great influence on Indian art is Buddhism thus the worship of the god, Buddha. They believed in life after death with the understanding that something one does in the physical world will determine his destiny in the metaphysical (spiritual) world. Also, it was believed that the soul of each human being passes from one body to another. The Indians are famed for their long tradition of music and dance as well as jewelry for personal adornment. The Indians practiced various art forms such as sculpture, architecture, painting and textiles.

Symbolism reigns in the Ghanaian community. Therefore, the designs of spokesperson staff, a special staff held by the spokesperson who plays the role as a mediator between the chief and his subjects in the Asante ethnic society in the Ashanti region of Ghana have symbolic meanings. Also, in ceremonies, the chiefs of Asante hold some ceremonial swords as they are carried in palanquins. These swords are also arranged before the chief when he is seated among his subjects during the observance of the ceremony. They also have some designs on them that have symbolic meanings. These must be understood by residents and visitors who attend the festivals and other equally meaningful gatherings where these symbolic items are used.

The Bambara ethnic society is located in the central part of Mali. The Bambara cultivate the land for sustenance. The main occupation there is farming. The people engage in agricultural activities like the planting and cultivation of corn and other cereals. A section of the people also engages in pastoral farming. Some few selected people were trained in smithing and carving. These smiths and carvers are greatly respected and feared because they are believed to be closer to the gods and ancestors. Their cultural life is cluttered with a lot of religious beliefs. These beliefs were greatly portrayed using artistic productions in sculpture, textiles, Blacksmithing, beadwork and much more.

The Mende ethnic society is located in the South Western part of Sierra Leone. The main occupation there is farming. The Mendes have organized themselves into kingdoms and autonomous villages and towns ruled by chiefs. The chiefs' exercised limited power because the secret societies there exercise greater authority over the political and social life of the people. The Mendes believed in God as the creator. They practiced magic and also believed in ancestors, animism, sorcery, and witchcraft.

The Greeks of Greece have a dramatic historical trend in sculpture production. These progressive efforts can be well traced in the three stylistic periods of their artistic development as categorized by art historians. These periods are the Archaic period, the Classical period and the Hellenistic period. The chief material for sculpture production was marble because of its abundance in ancient Greece. However, other materials such as ivory, bronze and gold were sparingly used. Their statues played significant roles in the lives of the people. For instance, statues were placed at vantage points in the country in remembrance of important events and the victors at the Olympic Games. Others were placed over graves to remember the departed souls and for decorating public buildings.

Egypt prides itself as the first center of civilization on the African continent from 5000 B.C. The country is located along the coast of the Nile River in the northeast of Africa. Egypt was the site of one of the most powerful and longest-lasting civilization in the ancient world. This great ancient state highly utilized various art forms in revealing their deep-rooted philosophies of life. These philosophies were embedded in their strict and compact religious beliefs paramount amongst them was the belief in life after death. Owing to this, the people practiced a death cult where art was the main vehicle that was used.

Canopic jars are pottery vessels made by the ancient Egyptians used as containers in keeping the relics of the dead while the Nubia Eggshell Jars were used in storing relevant herbs that were used in the mummification or embalmment processes of the dead. These pottery wares were made with strong ceramic material such as porcelain or kaolin (white clay). They were glazed and fired at extremely high temperatures in brick- made Kilns.

The narrow range of subjects of prehistoric art which is animal life and fertility as well as the remoteness and inaccessibility of many of the cave paintings, sculpture, and engravings that were discovered give the indication that the works of art were not 'art for art sake' thus produced for mere decoration. The prehistoric men and women had far more relevant reasons for producing the artworks.

Art plays a vibrant role in the personal life of the individual as well as in the social and economic development of the nation. The study of Visual arts encourages personal development and the awareness of both our cultural heritage and the role of art in the society. The learner acquires personal knowledge, skills and competencies through activities in Visual arts. When one studies Visual arts, he/she would come to appreciate or understand that art is an integral part of everyday life.

There are several good and relevant traits or qualities that a senior high school student who has studied the Visual Art programme is expected to cultivate. These wonderful attributes must be earnestly sought by learners as they practice the visual arts.

The indigenous arts offer various employment avenues to the majority of people, especially the rural folks. This helps them in providing for themselves and their families, thereby reducing the unemployment ratio in the country, easing the government of the burden of unemployment.

Principles of design are the rules and guidelines that govern how the elements of design should be organized. They are the fundamental guiding principles to a good composition of the individual elements of design.

The arts practiced by the indigenous Africans bear certain distinct traits or features that make them different from the arts practiced by other cultures like the Western culture. Though some critics say that indigenous African arts is primitive, old fashioned and ritualistic, the arts done are far from those criticisms and they are false. Those allegations are as a result of the failure of the critics in analyzing their unique characteristics.

The term 'rites of passage' or 'rites de passage' was first used by the French ethnologist Van Gennep in 1909. It refers to the rites, rituals and ceremonies that are used to mark the changes or transitions from one stage of life to another. These changes include birth, puberty, marriage and death. Among the Akan ethnic society in Ghana, every Akan who marks each of the stages must undertake essential ceremonies and rituals and these lavishly paint the cultural traditions, values, norms and beliefs of the people.

The Sub-Saharan Africans refer to Africans located in the Western part of the African continent. It includes countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Cote D'Ivoire. The Sub-Saharan African believes that he is surrounded by various spirits. These spirits fight against each other for supremacy and prominence. There are good or benevolent spirits and bad or malevolent spirits in the universe or cosmos.

Visual art education is one of the vibrant and resourceful aspects of general education that ensures skills development. This form of education grooms young students in the senior high school level with strong entrepreneurial drives to set up their own small scale industries. This assists them greatly in performing their civic responsibilities which is also quintessential in the development of the nation.

Contemporary African art has reached higher heights in the international fronts due to the immense contribution of the continent's prolific artists especially in the last half of the twentieth century. Contemporary African art is not demeaned as it used to be in the late 80's and early 90's.

Critical thinking is described as the systematic search for knowledge through rigorous probing, questioning and logical analysis. It is an in-exhaustive and unending search for true knowledge. One cardinal philosophical theory that assists learners in engaging in critical thinking exercises with the view of unearthing undiluted knowledge is the Socratic philosophy of questioning. This philosophical theory was propounded by Socrates who was a Greek philosopher and teacher.

Repatriation is a hotly debated subject which is ongoing and its fire has little hopes of entirely dying out. Staunch giants and scholars and people in authority such as art curators, art critics, art historians, art teachers, politicians and other well meaning personalities have expressed their views on this controversial subject of restitution of works of art to their places of origin. The issue of art repatriation and the conflicts it's engulfed in is deep and vast.

Art history is said to be the study of the past, particularly how it relates to humans. The term is universally applied to past events about individuals and associations. It unravels the genesis or etymology of the things in existence today. It is a relevant field of Art that gives weighty information on creativity to artists of today.

Criticism, properly referred to as constructive comments passed by professional art critics about works of artists is under serious debate. Some artists do not like the comments made by some professional critics regarding their creative works of art which they feel deserves praise.

Humans are a rather arrogant lot, consider if you will how we believe we are the most superior species on the planet, no matter that there are species that are far older than we and have carved out a rather nice niche for themselves. Someday when humans have evolved into something more adaptable or become extinct, I think we all inherently know that other species, more adapted will remain in great numbers and ready to take on the next era on Planet Earth - the cockroach for instance.

Shining as the best-known festival in Japan, the Gion Festival takes place every year over the whole month of July. It's a testimony to the community spirit of downtown Kyotoites that this annual festival has taken place almost continuously since it started in the year 869.

Presently, in the United States of America, our government has led the country into a more inclusive point of view. There are those in politics who oppose this path, asserting that it has made the USA look weak. There is some relevant history in American politics that might be considered.

This article discusses the importance of learning history perhaps among middle and high-school learners as many regard history as a boring, non-worthy subject. This article intends to subdue the negative aggression towards learning history.

Emperor Ashoka was one of the greatest rulers of Indian History. A great conqueror who ruled one of the biggest empires about two thousand and two hundred years ago. He became a disseminator of peace, love and prosperity.

Masonic craft regalia are often used in different Masonic rituals and ceremonies. This explains why all these regalia should be held in high regard. After all, improper care of the different regalia used in their rituals would mean a complete disregard of the rituals as well.

Fully understanding where the Knights Templar came from and what relevance its degrees hold help any aspiring and current member understand what their Knights Templar regalia truly stand for. The Knights Templar, or the Order of the Temple of Solomon, is considered as perhaps the most romantic of the suggested ancestors of Freemasonry. Although it derived its name from the military unit in the Crusades, the Order does not claim any direct lineal descent from the historical Knights Templar.

Allama Muhammad Iqbal was the great philosopher-poet of Asia. He was also a great politician and thinker of Pakistan. He was born on 9th November 1877 at Sialkot, Punjab province of Pakistan. His father's name was Noor Muhammad. He descended from a family of Kashmiri Brahmans who had embraced Islam about 300 years ago. Allama Muhammad Iqbal received his early education from his native town. He was very talented/ intelligent from his childhood. He did his B.A in 1897 from Government College, Lahore and M.A (Master of Arts) in Philosophy from the said college in 1899. He was appointed as a lecturer of the said college. He wrote his first book "Bang-e-Dara" at that time. This book was quite different from other poems. Soon he resigned from government service and proceeded to Europe for further higher education. He got a degree from Cambridge, then he got LLB from London and secured Ph. D. from Munich University respectively. His thesis was Philosophy of AJAM.

The man may have departed, but his achievements would be further immortalised in the newly released film "The Man who Knew Infinity"... and may I add, "whom infinity could not define." "1729" - The taxi sped away. "Boring, isn't it, that number 1729?" remarked Hardy to Ramanujan. "Aha, " replied Ramanujan, "1729 is the smallest number which can be expressed as the sum of two cubes, in 2 dissimilar ways. "

Thomas Jefferson was one of the finest patriots and presidents America ever had. He did so much for our nation so that, today as Americans, we are proud to live in such a blessed country. Jefferson was a bibliophile- a lover of books. His personal library included 10,000 volumes, in which part was sold to save the Library of Congress in 1814 when the British burned most of Washington D.C.